When my partner and I bought our 1928 Arts & Crafts bungalow home in Portland, Oregon, at the end of 2023, I knew the kitchen was going to be a project. The floors were painted black and chipping off in large flecks. The countertops were avocado green and streaked with rust stains. The walls were gloomy and gray, and made the whole room feel like a basement. And the appliances? Beyond saving.

While traveling, I always fall in love with the architecture and design style of the places I’m visiting — it’s impossible for me not to become inspired and take a part of it home with me. Lots of homeowners feel the same — like this family home in London, England, that got a major makeover inspired by their trip to Miami, or this Netherlands home inspired by the family’s time in Malaysia.

Two of Lyric and Chantelle’s, of Casa Garnish, favorite pastimes are cooking and hosting. However, their kitchen, which was last updated in 2016, wasn’t proving to be the most inspiring environment for those two activities. “The kitchen was your classic old kitchen with gray walls and wood cabinets and standard granite countertops,” Chantelle and Lyric explain.